Jefferson County Public Schools will shell out more than $200,000 for cutting ties with longtime Superintendent Cindy Stevenson before the end of her contract, according to an unusual separation agreement that also forbids her from volunteering at the district.

Stevenson was set to retire in June after more than 12 years at the helm of the nearly 86,000-student school district but left four months earlier because of a tense relationship with the new conservative majority on the school board that she said made it difficult to lead.

“I would rather that the district not be paying me a separation agreement,” Stevenson said. “The work was my passion, and I loved it, but the fact remains that these were the provisions in my contract.”

Stevenson’s contract states that severing ties with the superintendent would cost the district the remaining portion of her $201,000 annual salary, which is about $68,500. Stevenson is also entitled to other benefits outlined in her contract, including $121,000 for unused vacation time and sick leave. Her total compensation in the agreement was $204,194.

Board member Lesley Dahlkemper, who supports Stevenson, called the agreement a forced buyout and an unnecessary cost to taxpayers during tough budget times. She said the money could have been used for reading instruction, closing student achievement gaps and reinstating positions that were nixed during the last round of budget cuts.

“I didn’t support the majority of the board pushing Dr. Stevenson out,” Dahlkemper said. “I didn’t think it was good for the district, and I didn’t think it was good for kids. We have a number of different budget options on the board, and it would be interesting to look at how we could have used those $200,000 in a way that benefited children.”

Board president Ken Witt, a member of the conservative majority, said the agreement offered Stevenson an appropriate and equitable end to her tenure.

“Dr. Stevenson was planning to work through June and would have received the majority of those funds regardless,” Witt said. “This doesn’t represent a significantly different sum than we would have been paying anyway.”

Witt did not provide a breakdown of costs to show the difference between Stevenson’s staying until the end of her contract and her early departure.

The eight-page parting agreement gives Stevenson 30 days to change her public profiles with professional organizations and on social-media websites such as LinkedIn and Facebook to show that she is no longer an employee of the school district.

The agreement also stipulates that Stevenson cannot seek re-employment at the district or volunteer at any schools, including charters, until Dec. 31, 2018.

“Dr. Stevenson is moving on to other opportunities,” Witt said. “The district is focusing on hiring a new superintendent. We want to make certain that the incoming leadership is free to set their vision for the organization and move forward.”

Dahlkemper called the provision unfortunate, adding that Stevenson has expertise and skills that could be useful for the district.

“I think that the new majority of the board was not interested in what she brought to the table,” she said, “and not only wanted to see her move out sooner rather than later but also appeared not to have much interest in having her come back to provide counsel or expertise moving forward.”

The search for a new superintendent is expected to be complete in May, Witt said. He has said that during the transition, the district’s top administrators, including chief academic officer Heather Beck, will report directly to the school board.

Beck, who was hired Monday as superintendent of the Lake Oswego School District in Oregon, will stay with the Jefferson County district until June. She declined to say whether the shift of the school board and Stevenson’s departure contributed to her decision.

“It’s always been a career goal of mine to be a superintendent,” Beck said. “The opportunity came at a time that was appealing for me to look for a new position.”

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